This invention relates to fluid machinery, and more particularly to an articulated, submersible turbine pump suitable for installation in a bottom hole assembly of an underwater well.
Submersible turbine pumps for the purpose of bringing production fluid, such as oil and gas, from the bottom of a well to the earth's surface are described in the prior art. Since such a turbine pump must have a small diameter to pass through the flow line to the bottom of the well, an axial flow design is commonly used. Typically, an axial flow turbine and an axial flow pump interconnected in an end-to-end relationship are packaged in an elongated housing for installation in a bottom hole assembly of a well as a free turbine pump. Power fluid under very high pressure is transmitted down the flow line to the turbine pump installed in the bottom hole assembly to power the turbine, which in turn drives the pump.
An underwater gas and/or oil well commonly has a 270 degree loop at the top of the flow line to change the direction of flow from vertical to horizontal. Presently known turbine pumps are straight, rigid, elongated structures not capable of readily passing through a curved pipe such as that at the top of the flow line in an underwater well.